Stereoscope

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Stereoscope \Ste"re*o*scope\, n. [Stereo- + -scope.]
     An optical instrument for giving to pictures the appearance
     of solid forms, as seen in nature. It combines in one,
     through a bending of the rays of light, two pictures, taken
     for the purpose from points of view a little way apart. It is
     furnished with two eyeglasses, and by refraction or


     reflection the pictures are superimposed, so as to appear as
     one to the observer.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In the reflecting stereoscope, the rays from the two
           pictures are turned into the proper direction for
           stereoscopic vision by two plane mirrors set at an
           angle with each other, and between the pictures. In the
           lenticular stereoscope, the form in general use, the
           eyeglasses are semilenses, or marginal portions of the
           same convex lenses, set with their edges toward each
           other, so that they deflect the rays coming from the
           picture so as to strike the eyes as if coming direct
           from an intermediate point, where the two pictures are
           seen apparently as one.
           [1913 Webster] Stereoscopic

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  stereoscope
       n : an optical device for viewing stereoscopic photographs